Jakarta. A string of corruption arrests targeting regional leaders has reignited debate at the heart of Indonesia’s democratic system, with Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian openly questioning whether direct local elections are producing the right kind of leaders.

Speaking at the parliamentary complex on Monday, Tito pointed to a basic but uncomfortable question: if corrupt officials are repeatedly being elected, what does that say about the system and the voters themselves?

“Who chooses them? The people,” Tito told reporters. “Does the direct election mechanism guarantee good leaders? Apparently not.”

His remarks come amid a wave of sting operations (OTT) carried out by Indonesia’s anti-graft agency KPK, which has ensnared multiple regional heads in recent months. The arrests have cut across political lines, implicating officials from different parties and regions and raising fresh concerns about systemic vulnerabilities in local governance.

At least six regional leaders have been caught in corruption cases since the start of 2026, including regents and mayors accused of bribery, extortion, and procurement fraud. Among them are Pati Regent Sudewo, Madiun Mayor Maidi, and Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq, as well as officials from Rejang Lebong, Cilacap, and Tulungagung.

The pattern, Tito suggested, is too consistent to be dismissed as isolated misconduct.

“This has happened several times in a short period. That indicates a systemic problem,” he said.

At the center of his critique is the cost of running for office. Direct elections, introduced as part of Indonesia’s post-Suharto democratization, were designed to strengthen accountability by allowing voters to choose their leaders directly. But Tito argued that the high cost of campaigning has created perverse incentives, pushing candidates toward illicit financing and, once in office, toward corruption.

“Direct elections have positives, but also negatives,” he said. “One of them is high political costs, and it does not guarantee that those elected are good people.”

The comments echo a long-running debate in Indonesia over the unintended consequences of decentralization. Since the early 2000s, regional autonomy has shifted significant power and budgets to local governments. While the reforms have deepened democracy, they have also opened new avenues for rent-seeking, particularly in procurement and licensing.

Tito stopped short of calling for an end to direct elections, but his remarks signal growing unease within the government about the current model. 

Beyond institutional design, Tito also pointed to what he described as a “moral hazard” among some officials, suggesting that personal integrity remains a decisive factor.

“This is also about individual responsibility,” he said. “There are deviations in how power is used.”

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